Petrotectonic setting of the provenance of Lower Siwalik sandstones of the Himalayan foreland basin,southeastern Kumaun Himalaya,India

Detailed petrography and modal analysis of 35 sandstone thin sections was carried out to determine petrotectonic setting of the provenance of the Lower Siwalik molasse of southeastern Kumaun Himalaya. The sandstones are fine‐ to coarse‐grained (0.14–0.63 mm), poorly‐ to moderately‐sorted and comprise lithic arenites, sublithic arenites and lithic greywackes. The sandstones invariably belong to the quartzolithic QtFL (Qt, total quartz; F, feldspar; L, lithic grains) and QmFLt (Qm, monocrystalline quartz; Lt, lithic grains plus polycrystalline quartz) petrofacies, and indicate their derivation from a quartzose‐ and transitional‐recycled orogen provenance under sub‐humid climatic conditions. The framework composition of the sandstones comprises abundant monocrystalline and polycrystalline quartz and low‐ to high‐grade metamorphic rock fragments, along with subordinate feldspar, characterized by low ratios of plagioclase to total feldspar, and accessory minerals. The framework composition and petrofacies characters of these texturally submature sandstones suggest their derivation mainly from the nearby located Great Himalaya terrane and subordinately from the Tethys and Lesser Himalayan terranes. A comparison of the data presented here with the previous similar data from Lower Siwalik of northwestern Pakistan, northwestern India, south‐central Kumaun, western Nepal and southeastern Nepal reveals that like the Lower Siwalik rivers in other sections, the Lower Siwalik rivers of the southeastern Kumaun too drained large parts of the Great Himalayan terrane and some parts of the Tethys and Lesser Himalayan terranes.     

Fingerprinting ash deposits of small scale eruptions by their physical and textural features

Correlation of distal ash deposits with their proximal counterparts mainly relies on chemical and mineralogical characterization of bulk rock and matrix glasses. However, the study of juvenile fragments often reveals the heterogeneity in terms of clast shape, external surface, groundmass texture and composition. This is particularly evident in small scale eruptions, characterized by a strong variability in texture and relative abundance of juvenile fragments. This heterogeneity introduces an inherent uncertainty, that makes the compositional data alone inadequate to unequivocally characterize the tephra bed. Pyroclast characteristics, if described and quantified, can represent an additional clue for the correct identification of the tephra.     

Quaternary deformation, river steepening, and heavy precipitation at the front of the Higher Himalayan ranges

New geologic mapping in the Marsyandi Valley of central Nepal reveals the existence of tectonically significant Quaternary thrust faults at the topographic front of the Higher Himalaya. The zone of recent faulting is coincident with an abrupt change in the gradient of the Marsyandi River and its tributaries, which is thought to mark the transition from a region of rapid uplift in the Higher Himalayan ranges to a region of slower uplift to the south. Uplift of the Higher Himalaya during the Quaternary is not entirely due to passive uplift over a deeply buried ramp in the Himalayan sole thrust, as is commonly believed, but partially reflects active thrusting at the topographic front. The zone of active thrusting is also coincident with a zone of intense monsoon precipitation, suggesting a positive feedback relationship between focused erosion and deformation at the front of the Higher Himalayan ranges.     

Evidence of growth fault and forebulge in the Late Paleocene (∼57.9-54.7 Ma), western Himalayan foreland basin, India

The evolution of the Himalayan foreland is the result of continent-continent collision and related large-scale tectonics in the region. The initial foredeep basin sequences are exposed in limited areas of the western Himalaya, which makes these areas very significant in unraveling the earliest evolution of the foreland system. The basal interval of the Himalayan foredeep is exposed in the Jammu area (India), which preserves silicified breccia formed by the erosion of hanging walls of shallow faults. Two Paleocene sections are analyzed that suggest the existence of growth faults which developed in response to the India-Asia collision in the Late Paleocene (∼57.9-54.7 Ma). The pebble-size clasts and their derivation entirely from the basement demonstrate rapid sedimentation in response to rapid subsidence at the onset of basin evolution. The angular unconformity showing effects of erosion associated with a thin soil horizon may be due to a forebulge at the site of the unconformity. The reworked bauxite above this soil horizon demonstrates erosion of another forebulge from the cratonward side.     

Depositional features and transportation mechanism of valley-filling Iwasegawa and Kaida debris avalanches, Japan

 The depositional features of two valley-filling debris avalanche deposits were studied to reveal their transportation and depositional mechanisms. The valley-filling Iwasegawa debris avalanche deposit (ca. 0.1 km³) is distributed along the valleys at the southeastern foot of Tashirodake Volcano, northern Honshu, Japan. Debris-avalanche blocks range in size from <35 m proximally to <10 m in the distal zone and consist dominantly of fragile materials. Debris-avalanche matrix percentages increase from 35–60% in the proximal zone to 95% in the distal zone. The debris-avalanche matrix is greater in volume (80–90%) at the bottom and margins of the deposit. Normal grading of large clasts and reverse grading of wood logs and branches occur within the debris-avalanche matrix. Preferred orientation of 311 wood logs and branches within the deposit coincide with the interpreted local flow direction. The basal part of the deposit is characterized by (1) erosional features and incorporated clasts of underlying material; (2) a higher proportion (30–50%) of incorporated clasts than the upper part; and (3) reverse grading of clasts. The valley-filling Kaida debris avalanche deposit (50 000 y B.P., >0.3 km³) is distributed along the valleys at the eastern-southeastern foot of Ontake Volcano, central Japan. Debris-avalanche blocks range in size from <25 m proximally to <7 m in the medial zone. Debris-avalanche matrix percentages increase from 50–70% in the proximal zone to 80% in the distal zone. The debris-avalanche matrix is more abundant (80–90%) at the bottom part of the deposit. Deformation structures observed in the debris-avalanche blocks include elongation, folding, conjugate reverse faults, and numerous minor faults in unconsolidated materials. Lithic components within the debris-avalanche matrix tend to have a higher percentage of plucked clasts from the adjacent underlying formations. A Bingham "plug flow" model is consistent with the transportation and depositional mechanisms of the valley-filling debris avalanches. In the plug of the debris avalanche, fragile blocks were transported without major rupturing due to relatively small shear stresses in regions of small strain rate. The debris-avalanche matrix was mainly produced by shearing at the bottom and margins of the avalanche. Valley-filling debris avalanches tend to have smaller debris-avalanche blocks and larger amounts of debris-avalanche matrix than do unconfined debris avalanches. These differences may be due to disaggregation of debris-avalanche blocks by shearing against valley walls and interaction between debris-avalanche blocks and valley walls. Oriented wood logs and branches, reverse grading of clasts at the base, and a higher proportion of incorporated clasts at the base are interpreted to result from shearing along the bottom and valley walls. Received: 25 March 1998 / Accepted: 10 October 1998     

Northward cooling of the Kuncha nappe and downward heating of the Lesser Himalayan autochthon distributed to the south of Mt. Annapurna,western central Nepal

We investigated the tectonothermal history of the Lesser Himalayan sediments (LHS), which are tectonically overlain by the Higher Himalayan Crystalline. Fission‐track dating and the track length measurement of detrital zircons obtained from the Kuncha nappe and the Lesser Himalayan autochthonous sediments in western central Nepal revealed northward cooling of the nappe and possible downward heating of the autochthon by the overlying hot nappe. Nine zircon fission‐track (ZFT) ages of the nappe showed northward‐younging linear distribution from 11.6 Ma in the front at Tamghas, 6 Ma in the central at Naudanda, and 1.6 Ma in the northernmost point at Tatopani. Thermochronological invert calculation of the ZFT length elucidated that the Kuncha nappe gradually cooled down (30 °C/Myr) at the front and rapidly cooled down (120 °C/Myr) at the root zone. In contrast, the ZFT age of the Chappani Formation, located just beneath the Kuncha nappe in the central part, demonstrated a totally reset age of 6.8 Ma, whereas the Virkot Formation, structurally far from the nappe, yielded a partially reset age of 457.3 Ma. This suggests that the LHS underwent downward heating, resulting in a thermal print on the upper part of the LHS; however, the thermal effect was not sufficient to anneal ZFT totally in the deeper part. Presently, the nappe cover is eroded and denuded from this area. Detrital zircons from the Chappani Formation in Tansen area to the south of the Bari Gad Fault did not show any evidence of annealing, suggesting that nappe never covered the LHS distributed to the south of the fault.     

Northward younging zircon fission‐track ages from 13 to 2 Ma in the eastern extension of the Kathmandu nappe and underlying Lesser Himalayan sediments distributed to the south of Mt. Everest

This study is concerned with the tectono‐thermal history of the Kathmandu nappe and the underlying Lesser Himalayan sediments (LHS) that are distributed in eastern Nepal. We carried out zircon fission‐track(ZFT) dating and obtained 16 ZFT ages from the eastern extension of the Kathmandu nappe, the Higher Himalayan Crystalline, Kuncha nappe, and the Main Central Thrust (MCT) zone. The ZFT ages of the frontal part of the Kathmandu nappe range from 13.0 ±0.8 Ma to 10.7 ±0.7 Ma and exhibit a northward‐younging tendency. These Middle Miocene ZFT ages indicate that the frontal part of the Kathmandu nappe remained at a temperature above 240 °C until the termination of its southward emplacement at 12–11 Ma. The ZFT ages of the LHS range from 11.1 ±0.9 Ma in the southern part of the Okhaldhunga Window to 2.4 ±0.3 Ma of the augen gneiss in the northern margin and also exhibit a northward‐younging age distribution. The ZFT ages show the northward‐younging linear distribution pattern (?0.16 Ma/km) along the across‐strikesection from the frontal part of the Kathmandu nappe to the root zone, without a significant age gap. This distribution pattern indicates that the Kathmandu nappe, the underlying MCT zone, and the Kuncha nappe cooled from the frontal zone to the root zone as a thermally united geologic body at a temperature below 240 °C. An older ZFT age (456.3 ±24.3 Ma), which was partially reset at the axial part of the Midland anticlinorium in the central part of the Okhaldhunga Window, was explained by downward heating from the “hot” Kathmandu nappe. The above evidence supported a model that southward emplacement of the hot Kathmandu nappe resulted in a thermal imprint on the upper part of the LHS; however, the lower part did not reach 240 °C.     

Seepage erosion and its implication to the formation of amphitheatre valley heads: A case study at Obara,Japan

Seepage erosion was investigated in an amphitheatre with a semicircular valley head, steep slopes, and a flat bottom developed in granodiorite hills at Obara, Aichi prefecture, Japan. A high sediment yield occurred where the measuring sites were located at the base of the landslide debris in the base of the convex slopes, whereas sediment outflows were small where the measuring sites were located at the base of the strong convex slopes. This implies that the seepage erosion was an effective agent for removal of debris deposited at the base of the slope. Small landslides can be found at the lower slopes within the area of the observed amphitheatre. The slope stability analysis and subsurface water observation of the lower slope suggest that the small landslides in this amphitheatre are due to over-steepened slopes, and relatively insensitive to subsurface water status. Colluvium in the flat valley bottom thinly covers the bedrock surface. Therefore the topography of the amphitheatre was found to be formed by parallel retreat of slopes by the repetition of basal seepage erosion and subsequent small landslides.     

A test of petrological control in the development of bornhardts and koppies on the Matopos Batholith,Zimbabwe

This paper investigates the reasons for the presence of both domed inselbergs (bornhardts) and boulder inselbergs (koppies) on the Matopos Batholith, Zimbabwe. XRF and microprobe analyses of rock samples from 16 bornhardts and 24 koppies have shown no significant chemical or mineralogical differences which might indicate greater weathering resistance of the bornhardts. Many bornhardts are located on massive bodies of slowly-cooled porphyritic granite which were emplaced at a relatively late stage in the evolution of the batholith. The surrounding rocks are less porphyritic and appear to have been foliated during deformation associated with emplacement of the later bodies. The entire batholith has been affected by post-emplacement tectonism which has created three major fracture systems. The morphological differences between bornhardts and koppies in this area are therefore considered to reflect differences in jointing which arise both from the primary igneous emplacement process and from tectonic deformation.     

Paleoproterozoic granitic gneisses of the Dinggye and LhagoiKangri areas from the higher and northern Himalaya, Tibet: Geochronology and implications

Granitic gneisses have been widely found in crystalline rocks in the Dinggye area of the Higher Himalaya (HHM) and the LhagoiKangri area of the North Himalaya (NHM), Tibet. In the HHM, the gneisses intruded in the granulite-amphibolite facies metamorphosed sedimentary rocks, known as Nyalam group. In the NHM, the gneisses intruded in the amphibolite facies metamorphosed ones, known as LhagoiKangri group. These granitic gneisses are peraluminous monzonitic granites in terms of their mineral assemblage, and are considered as being derived from metamorphosed sedimentary rocks by anatexis based on the transitional relationship of the gneisses with their migmatitized wall rocks. Zircons are similar in crystal shape and interior structure from both gneisses. Most of them are euhedral or subhedral elongated prism-shaped transparent crystals, with fine oscillatory zoning, showing the magmatic genesis. Some of them are short prism-shaped and with relict core inherited from magma source and oscillatory zoning mantle crystallized from magma. SHRIMP U-Pb dating of zicons shows that both the granitic gneisses in the HHM and NHM are Paleoproterozoic (1811.6±2.9 Ma and 1811.7±7.2 Ma, respectively). These ages are similar to those (1815 to 2120 Ma) from granitic gneiss which is widely distributed in the Lesser Himalaya (LHM). The ages of inherited zircons (>2493.9±7.0 Ma, 2095.8± 8.8 Ma, 1874±29 Ma) exhibit the possible presence of several thermal events in Paleoproterozoic. All of the ages suggest the same India basement beneath the different units in Himalaya area, and do not support the idea that the HHM and NHM are accretionary terranes in Pan-Africa orogenic event. The fact that the basement in HHM is as old as or even younger than LHM is inconsistent with the presently prevalent orogenic models such as either extrusion of low-viscosity mid-crust or orogenic channel.     

Seismicity variations in the Makran region of Pakistan and Iran: Relation to great earthquakes

Teleseismic activity in the Makran region of southeastern Iran and southwestern Pakistan prior to the great earthquake (M_s=8) of 1945 can be characterized in terms of two stages. First, during the period 30 (or more) to 10 years prior to the main event, the frequency of occurrence of moderate to large earthquakes was relatively high in the region between the impending rupture zone and the volcanic arc to the northwest. These events probably occurred near the down-dip limit of seismic activity within the subducted slab. Second, activity was concentrated along the coast during the ten years immediately preceding the great earthquake and most of this activity was confined to the vicinity of the epicenter of the 1945 earthquake. These patterns are similar in some respects to those observed prior to some large earthquakes in other parts of the world.Three observations concerning the pre-1945 seismicity suggest it was associated with the preparation for rupture of the zone that eventually broke during the great earthquake in 1945: (1) The activity before 1945 is located either within the 1945 rupture zone or between this zone and the volcanic arc to the northwest; (2) No activity of similar magnitude and occurrence rate is observed elsewhere along the Makran plate boundary; and (3) The region that was active prior to 1945 has been relatively quiet since the decline in aftershock activity associated with the 1945 shock. The current quiescence may be related to the release of stress during the 1945 earthquake.Recent seismicity in the region west of that affected prior to 1945 suggests that this western region may be the site of the next large earthquake. Events along the coast are grouped at both ends of a seismically quiet zone, producing a distribution similar to the donut pattern identified by Mogi. In addition, one moderate-magnitude earthquake occurred within the subducted slab to the northwest of the donut pattern along the coast. This moderate-magnitude earthquake, the first to occur in the region immediately west of the 1945 rupture zone since the advent of instrumental recording, may be analogous to the activity of stage one associated with the 1945 earthquake. While by no means providing conclusive evidence of an impending earthquake, the characteristic patterns identified in the recent seismicity indicate that this region should be closely monitored in the future.Lamont-Doherty Geological Observatory Contribution Number 2853.     

Stable isotopes in the source waters of the Yamuna and its tributaries: seasonal and altitudinal variations and relation to major cations

Water samples from the Yamuna and its tributaries, one of the major river systems draining the Himalaya, have been analysed for their stable oxygen and hydrogen isotopes during three seasons (summer, monsoon and post‐monsoon). The data show clear seasonal and altitudinal variations; waters from higher altitudes and those collected during monsoon season are characterized by relatively depleted isotopic composition. Regression analysis of δD–δ¹⁸O data of samples collected during summer and monsoon seasons shows that the slope of the best‐fit lines are nearly identical to those of precipitation at New Delhi for the same period. The similarity in their slopes suggests that the isotopic composition of precipitation contributing water to these rivers are reasonably well preserved in both monsoon and non‐monsoon seasons, however, during the non‐monsoon period both rainfall and river waters carry signatures of evaporation. The ‘deuterium excess’ in river waters during the three seasons though overlap with each other, the values during October are higher. This can be understood in terms of recycled moisture contributions to precipitation. The ‘altitude effect’ for δ¹⁸O in these waters is determined to be 0·11‰ per 100 m, a factor of about two less than that reported for the Ganga source waters from similar altitudinal range. The variability in altitude effects in rivers draining the Himalaya seems to be controlled by the ‘amount effect’ associated with the monsoon. The significant spatial variability in altitude effect in these river basins, which are a few hundred kilometers apart, suggests that reconstruction of palaeoelevation in the Himalaya, based on δ¹⁸O‐altitude gradients, would depend critically on its proper assessment in the region. This study has established a relationship between total cation abundance and δ¹⁸O in waters of the Yamuna mainstream; total cations (corrected for cyclic components) double for a 1·4 km decrease in altitude as the Yamuna flows downstream. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Detrital chromian spinels from beach placers of Andaman Islands,India: A perspective view of petrological characteristics and variations of the Andaman ophiolite

Along the east coast of the Andaman Islands, abundant detrital chromian spinels frequently occur in black sands at the confluence of streams meeting the Andaman Sea. The mineral chemistry of these detrital chromian spinels has been used in reconstructing the evolutionary history of the Andaman ophiolite. The chromian spinels show wide variation in compositional parameters such as Cr# [= Cr/(Cr + A1) atomic ratio] (0.13–0.91), Mg# [= Mg/(Mg + Fe²⁺) atomic ratio] (0.23–0.76), and TiO₂ (<0.05–3.9 wt%). The YFe³⁺[= 100Fe³⁺/(Cr + A1 + Fe³⁺) atomic ratio] is remarkably low (usually <10 except for south Andaman). The ranges of chemical composition of chromian spinels are different in each locality. The spinel compositions show very depleted signatures over the entire island, which suggests that all massifs in the Andaman ophiolite were affected under island‐arc conditions. Although the degree of depletion varies in different parts of the island, a directional change in composition of the detrital chromian spinels from south to north is evident. Towards the north the detrital chromian spinels point to less‐depleted source rocks in contrast to relatively more depleted towards the south. The possibilities to explain this directional change are critically discussed in the context of the evolution of Andaman ophiolite.     

Petrography of alluvial sands as a past and present environmental indicator: Case of the Loire River (France)

Four sample sets of the Upper and Middle Loire river sands were analyzed in order to study the impact of natural and anthropogenic factors on their petrographic composition in space (on an 800 km stretch) and time. Composition was determined by modal analysis of three sand-size fractions using a polarizing optical microscope and calculated for each sample (“standard sand” = Sst). The watershed is composed mainly of endogenic (Massif Central) and sedimentary (southern Parisian Basin) rocks. B-set sands collected in channels for different water flows in 1996 show that Sst compositions vary by only 5 %. Present-day sands in the Upper Loire and Middle Loire have very high petrographic immaturity comparing to others worldwide fluvial sands, although bio-climatic conditions favor sand maturation by source-rock weathering in the watershed. This shows the strong impact of the Massif Central on sediment yield due to relief rejuvenation as a consequence of the formation of the Alps during the Quaternary. Fluvial sands stored during the Weichselian and the Holocene in the Middle Loire floodplain, although partly weathered since their deposition, show higher inputs from the endogenic rocks of the Massif Central than present-day deposits. This can be explained by Weichselian periglacial conditions and the development of crop farming since the Neolithic, which favored mechanical erosion, particularly in the Massif Central which is characterized by a cold, humid climate and steep slopes. The upstream-downstream change in the composition of presently deposited sand is low in the diked area. It shows however that basalt and some heavy mineral grains are vulnerable to abrasion during transport and indicates a marked sediment yield from ancient sediment stored in the floodplain. This is in line with the high incision of the river bed over the last 150 years partly due to dam construction and aggregate mining.     

Volcanological features of a low-viscosity melt: the carbonatitic Gross Brukkaros Volcanic Field, Namibia

 In the Upper Cretaceous Gross Brukkaros Volcanic Field, southern Namibia, a radial dyke system surrounds a dome structure and its 74 closely related carbonatite diatremes. This paper focuses on volcanological features which seem to be typical for a low-viscosity melt in various settings such as dykes, sills and diatremes. The total or near absence of vesicles in carbonatite ash grains and lapilli inside the diatremes is evidence against explosive exsolution of volatile phases and in favour of a phreatomagmatic fragmentation mechanism and thus for a phreatomagmatic eruption mechanism of the carbonatite diatremes. Received: 15 August 1996 / Accepted: 13 January 1997     

Rock fall dynamics and deposition: an integrated analysis of the 2009 Ahwiyah Point rock fall,Yosemite National Park,USA

We analyzed a combination of airborne and terrestrial LiDAR, high‐resolution photography, seismic, and acoustic data in order to gain insights into the initiation, dynamics, and talus deposition of a complex rock fall. A large (46 700 m³) rock fall originated from near Ahwiyah Point in eastern Yosemite Valley and fell a total of 730 m to the valley floor on 28 March 2009. Analyses of remote sensing, seismic, and acoustic data were integrated to reconstruct the rock fall, which consisted of (1) the triggering of a 25 400 m³ rock block in an area of intersecting and sometimes highly weathered joint planes, (2) the sliding and subsequent ballistic trajectory of the block from a steeply dipping ledge, (3) dislodging of additional rock from the cliff surface from beneath the rock fall source area, (4) a mid‐cliff ledge impact that detached a volume of rock nearly equivalent in volume to the initial block, (5) sliding of the deteriorating rock mass down the remainder of the cliff, and (6) final impact at the base of the cliff that remobilized the existing talus downward and outward and produced an airblast that knocked down hundreds of trees. The depositional geomorphology indicates that the porosity of the fresh talus is significantly lower than that expected for typical blocky talus slopes, likely because the rock debris from this event was pulverized into smaller, more poorly sorted fragments and densified via dynamic compaction when compared to less energetic, fragmental‐type rock falls. These results suggest that accumulation of individual rock‐fall boulders tends to steepen talus slopes, whereas large, energetic rock falls tend to flatten them. Detachment and impact signals were recorded by seismic and acoustic instruments and highlight the potential use of this type of instrumentation for generalized rock fall monitoring, while LiDAR and photography data were able to quantify the cliff geometry, rock fall volume, source and impact locations, and geomorphological changes to the cliff and talus. Published in 2012. This article is a US Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.     

Preliminary stratigraphic and structural architecture of Bhutan: Implications for the along strike architecture of the Himalayan system

High-precision in-situ ion microprobe (SIMS) oxygen isotope analysis of zircons from two diorite intrusions associated with the late Caledonian Lochnagar pluton in Scotland has revealed large differences in the degree of heterogeneity in zircon δ¹⁸O between the diorites. Zircon crystals from the Cul nan Gad diorite (CnG) show a unimodal distribution of oxygen isotope values (δ¹⁸O = 6.0 ± 0.6‰ (2σ)) and no or only minor grain-scale variation. Those from the Allt Darrarie diorite (AD1) show a large range in δ¹⁸O and an apparent bimodal distribution with modes of 6.6 ± 0.4‰ and 7.3 ± 0.4‰. Variations of up to 1.2‰ occur between and within grains; both an increase and decrease in δ¹⁸O with zircon growth has been observed. The δ¹⁸O composition of growing zircon can only change if open-system processes affect the magma composition, i.e. if material of contrasting δ¹⁸O composition is added to the magma. The variability in AD1 is interpreted to represent a cryptic record of magma mixing. A ‘deep crustal hot zone’ is a likely site for generation of the dioritic magmas which developed by mixing of residual melts and crustal partial melts or by melting of mafic lower crustal rocks. The overall small number of zircons with mantle-like δ¹⁸O values (5.3 ± 0.6‰ (2σ)) in the Lochnagar diorites is largely the product of crustal differentiation rather than crustal growth.

The δ¹⁸O of quartz from the CnG and AD1 diorites shows only minor variation (CnG: 10.9 ± 0.5‰ (2σ), AD1: 11.7 ± 0.6‰ (2σ)) within single populations, with no evidence of mixing. Quartz–zircon isotopic disequilibrium is consistent with later crystallisation of quartz from late magmatic fluids, and in case of the AD1 diorite after the inferred magma mixing from a homogenised, higher δ¹⁸O melt.

High-precision SIMS oxygen isotope analysis of zircon provides a new approach to identifying and resolving previously undetected early-stage magma mixing and constraining the compositions and origins of the component magmas. A combination of zircon, quartz and whole-rock data has proven to be a powerful tool in reconstructing the petrogenetic evolution of diorite from early crystallisation to late alteration.     

Optimization and simulation of reservoir operation with sediment evacuation: a case study of the Tarbela Dam,Pakistan

Many reservoirs around the world are being operated based on rule curves developed without considering the evacuation of deposited sediment. Current reservoir simulation and optimization models fall short of incorporating the concept of sustainability because the reservoir storage losses due to sedimentation are not considered. This study develops a new model called Reservoir Optimization‐Simulation with Sediment Evacuation (ROSSE) model. The model utilizes genetic algorithm based optimization capabilities and embeds the sediment evacuation module into the simulation module. The sediment evacuation module is implemented using the Tsinghua university flushing equation. The ROSSE model is applied to optimize the rule curves of Tarbela Reservoir, the largest reservoir in Pakistan with chronic sedimentation problems. In the present study, rule curves are optimized for maximization of net economic benefits from water released. The water released can be used for irrigation, power production, sediment evacuation, and for flood control purposes. Relative weights are used to combine the benefits from these conflicting water uses. Nine sets of rule curves are compared, namely existing rule curves and proposed rule curves for eight scenarios developed for various policy options. These optimized rule curves show an increase of net individual economic benefits ranging from 9 to 248% over the existing rule curves. The shortage of irrigation supply during the simulation period is reduced by 38% and reservoir sustainability is enhanced by 28% through increased sediment evacuation. The study concludes that by modifying the operating policy and rule curves, it is possible to enhance the reservoir's sustainability and maximize the net economic benefits. The developed methodology and the model can be used for optimization of rule curves of other reservoirs with sedimentation problems. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.